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I'm new here and I was wondering what a good length would be for my posts. I broke the last one into two parts because it seemed too long. How many words is a reasonable length? I don't want to leave anyone hanging but can too much, (even if it's a good thing) be too much?
The blog I need help with is strawberryindigo.wordpress.com.
Perhaps this will satisfy your question:
I actually posted a poll on this as I wasn't sure: http://thislittlethingcalledlife.com/2011/03/28/what-length-satisfies-you/
I think that what is most important is whether what you write can hold someone's attention, i.e. is it interesting enough? If you are confident, then don't worry about it, write for yourself first and hopefully your readers will appreciate it.
I'm also new to the site, and to blogging for that matter. Both Noir's and tlt's links look about right 500 to 1000 seems to be pretty good, however I've had a couple in the 300's, and one that went 1046, so.
Quality, not quantity. But there should be a reasonable cap.
That link that Lulu's mom gave you has answers all over the page. IMO, the amount of words is less meaningful than the quality of your writing. What you cap it at is up to you. Some stories deserve more words than others, some deserve more pictures and less words.
Your second to last post has 948 words:
A story about a kitty that found its way into your home. You left me hanging at the end. Purposely. Hmm... what does that do to a reader? There is a rule of thumb amongst writers not to manipulate a reader. AI felt manipulated when you purposely said we had to come back to hear the ending. Some will pay you back by not returning. :-(
Your last post was 1214
The "epic" ending to what happened to the kitty. I wasn't at your blog until I saw this thread. And by then, I forgot about the kitty. What I wanted was your word count. Ok, now I'm on your blog again and now I remember ... oh yeah, that cat. What happened to that kitty? You've got minute details. All I want to know is if the cat will have a home. So I scrolled all the way to the bottom without reading anything else, just to know what happened. I missed 1200 words, just to read 14.
Why am I telling you this? What I'm describing is exactly what writers of publications do, in meetings. They sit at a roundtable and try to figure out --how do we keep our readers? Something as simple as having to turn a page (where it says, 'continued on p. 98') will deter some readers, so they purposely design their publications in ways that will keep their readers reading. What you're asking here is actually a thesis question.
IMO, both of these posts could have been written in 500 words, edited very well. You could also have written it in 1000 words, being more detailed, edited very well.
:-) KEEP GOING, you have a wonderful personality
I, not Al. There is no Al. That was a crazy typo.
This is a tough question to answer. I personally don't mind longer posts, if the content is good. Of course, I'm long-winded and make allowances for others, based on that. Others, who are more succinct than I, prefer short and sweet.
I think it's more important to mix it up. I try not to have (2) 1000+ word posts back to back. My posts usually fall between 500-850 words. A bit lengthy, but I've started doing Wordless Wednesdays to balance it out. And give myself a break.
Thanks so much for all the help. I have a much better grasp of the issue now. I did not mean to purposely leave anyone hanging. Especially Al, haha. I would write more here but I'm practicing cutting out nonessential words.
Why she typed "Al" instead of "I" is beyond me. She, as in her -not me. Okay, this is Kitty's Agent. I have hijacked her computer. I am in charge of all the kitties and the doggies. Please put the tag back on the kitty! If he just has a collar and not a tag, nobody can call you to let you know he's at their house or at the shelter, which only has to keep kitties and doggies for a few days, by law, before euthanizing. Kitty also needs a microchip! This is very important, especially since he roams around that luscious kitty neighborhood. If this pretty kitty gets away or gets stolen or gets lost --and kitties do-- a microchip may be the only thing that brings him back to you.
This is from the Humane Society of the US., explaining what I'm saying:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/microchips.html
Yours Truly,
Kitty's Agent
Kitty's Agent: You are an excellent sales cat and writer as well. No wonder you are the agent for all those animals. Bravo! I can see the logic in a microchip. I would feel just awful if he got lost or...??? oh no..
Al is Kitty's Agent.
Oh I see, Kitty's agent is Al E. Katt.
This is a snapshot of Al. E. Katt...
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He's chewing on lunch so his mouth looks off center.
Every blog needs well researched "pillar" posts. These longer posts showcase the blogger's expertise in their niche, the blog's brand, and provide content that's of timeless value to their readers.
It stands to reason that some posts will be longer than others as some topics are broad and others are narrow. Generally speaking, bloggers who habitually toss out a few sentences (100 – 200 words ) and provide a link or two usually have nothing to offer me. For, when it comes right down to it, it’s not the length of a post that determines whether or not I will read it. The degree of interest I have in the topic, the way the post is structured, the quality of the content, and the time frame that I have to devote to reading are key. If I’m short on time I will bookmark a longer post and read it at my leisure.
http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2008/09/03/better-blogging-post-length/
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Here he is, hanging out in the alley.
ok, you can't expect the spaces to space when you draw... so this will have to be a Picasso version.
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Here is my feeble attempt at whatever this is.
Your whiskers are better than mine. = is his collar. Can't draw legs without spaces. I won a contest in 9th grade once where we had to draw a picture using our typewriters. I drew a tin soldier man. But I used the space key a lot. Here, you can't use the space key. :-(
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Just got my oven fixed. My vegan quiche rocks. Eating cherries, one by one. How is Jacky?
All I won in the 9th grade was an F in gym. I'm glad your oven is fixed, now you can bake some cherry soup. I hear its better when its piping hot. Jacky happens to be right here. He is a few feet away enjoying the cool night air. He says meow.
How do you get an F in gym? This could be a blog post. I just ate 9 cherries. Did you see "The Witches of Eastwick?" Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Surandon and somebody ate too many cherries and got really sick? Jacky gets a kiss from Daisy.
I was way too cool in the 9th grade to participate in anything including gym which I hated. I also flunked algebra and biology that year. I was one of those rebels without a cause. Yes, I have seen the movie. Come to think of it, I could use some witchy
powers. Watch the cherries, I'm not sure but they might act as a natural laxative.
Jacky says Hi to you and Daisy, he has been sticking close to home lately. I think my winning ways are winning him over. I'm being too wordy again I know.. I'm full of it.
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strawberryindigo
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